- Target:
- Government of São Tomé and Principe
- Region:
- Sao Tome and Principe
A few days ago the poet and journalist from São Tomé, Conceição de Deus Lima was subjected to persecution by the São Tomé government. Conceição was the director of the current affairs program "Em Directo" on TVS. After over 15 years of years of experience with the BBC World Service in London, she always did her job impartially; according to the rules of her profession.
The program highly disturbed the government of Prime-Minister Trovoada, who ordered TVS to immediately sack her. The government justifies its decision with her contract, but it is a politically motivated action by a government which has been showing a clear distaste for freedom of press.
This professional attack cannot be allowed to take place in a democratic country which claims to have freedom of press.
We, the undersigned, strongly condemn the act of censorship and political interference with the functioning of the national TV station.
More precisely, we condemn the politically motivated dismissal of Conceiçao de Deus Lima.
We urge the government and TVS to reinstate her with immediate effect.
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The Stop Media Persecution in São Tomé petition to Government of São Tomé and Principe was written by Liesbeth Vandekerckhove and is in the category Human Rights at GoPetition.